Understanding Vocational Students’ Academic Functioning through Psychological Well-Being, Academic Motivation and Learning Engagement

Abstract

This study examined the relationships among psychological well-being, academic motivation, and learning engagement among senior secondary vocational education students. A quantitative research design was used, and data were collected from 400 students using standardized scales. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, independent samples t-test, and simple linear regression were employed for data analysis. The findings revealed moderate levels of psychological well-being and learning engagement, and moderate to high levels of academic motivation among students. Academic motivation showed a strong positive relationship with learning engagement and significantly predicted learning engagement, explaining 6.5% of the variance. In contrast, psychological well-being did not significantly predict learning engagement, although some dimensions such as positive relations and purpose in life showed positive associations with engagement. Significant gender differences were found in psychological well-being and learning engagement, with female students scoring higher than males. The findings highlight the importance of academic motivation in enhancing student engagement in vocational education settings.